ROC News

As in the awesome Paddock Hill Bend, not the other sort that no-one wants!

Notwithstanding a strangely and weirdly problematic start to Race 1 which meant it finished up as a thrilling but nonetheless not far off 50% short race, Brands was just great. Not least because of the weather which had been awful either side of the Sunday Race Day. OK it was darn cold (making the lap times that much more impressive!), but at least it was dry. As the saying goes 'the sun shines on the rightgeous'?

ROC is obliged for the following Race Report from James Winstanley of 750 Motor Club (likewise the photos via him) written from the birds-eye view of the (presumably nicely warm!) Race Control Room:

Race Report - ROC Bikesports Championship, 02, Brands Hatch

Race One

The first ROC Bikesports race at Brands Hatch was a scrappy affair, where it was very much third time lucky at the lights due to a succession of minor gravel-based stoppages, where Ian Charles was still forced to sit the start out from the sidelines. As per the previous attempts it was Alan Hogg who fired his Spire GT3 out of the blocks with sufficient gusto to come around first, flanked by Phil Cooper (Radical PR6) and Will Brown (PR6).

Philip Knibb had struggled to get to grips with the launch of his SR3 throughout all the grid’s aborted attempts and made a poor start from second to sit sixth behind Darcy Smith (Radical SR4) and Adrian Reynard (SR3).

The distraction of Brown hassling for position behind meant that it took ten laps for polesitter Cooper to finally close the gap on Hogg after the Spire driver had a moment at Druids, with Cooper eventually regaining his place at the lead of the pack following a move at Paddock Hill bend. With Brown given a new diffuser to chase, the space was there for Cooper to find two seconds of headway by the drop of the flag on lap 14, with Hogg remaining second and Brown third.

Reynard was fourth, behind whom ran the inseparable pairing of Knibb and Spire GT3 driver Richard Wise, with the duo going side by side through Druids towards the end of the race in a four-car train. The Radical man just had the advantage by the flag to take fifth place.

Race Two

Race two was in many ways a more thrilling repeat of the formula’s earlier antics, with another unrivalled start from Hogg allowing him to run ahead of Cooper, but this time it was Reynard keeping a watchful eye from behind in third place. Knibb suffered another slow start and this time it was Smith who became embroiled in a race-long battle with Wise.

Cooper started catching Hogg by lap seven; the same point at which point Mission T5 driver Max Lees had a lucky escape following wishbone failure on the run out of Druids. Brown eventually overtook Reynard to run in third on lap 11 and as the leaders made their way through traffic, Cooper was seemingly waiting for his chance to pounce. Reading a developing situation perfectly, he spotted a gap out of Graham Hill bend that Hogg was powerless to defend and grasped the lead, holding it to the close despite Hogg’s second raft of efforts in the final two laps.

Brown took another third place and his second podium of the day, ahead of Reynard, Knibb and Smith.

You can find full results from Brands Hatch on the 750 Motor Club website, as well as photos from across the weekend and up-to-date championship points: